Field of Innocence
by Lolita J. Scarlet
Summary: Post-war Epilogue never happened and life is slowly returning to normal at Hogwarts. There are new students and new situations, they say war does funny things to people. Rated K at the moment but will get higher. Harry/Hermione, Ron/Luna & Draco/OC


**Disclaimer: **I own not Harry Potter

**Note: **Dedicated to my wonderful Bella (killermanikinslivejournal) & Trip (triptychdreamlivejournal). Thanks girls for everything, and I hope this brightens your day. There will be a few different ships in this – a few surprises along the way but you know I will get to Harry/Hermione, Ron/Luna, Draco/OC eventually. This is just an intro to my story that is to come, there will soon be more focus on the trio etc, but I wanted to introduce some of my own original characters (yes, one of them being me). Just so you know, this was actually inspired by the worst fanfiction ever (My Immortal by XXXbloodyrists666XXX on FF dot Net) ! Hopefully it's a little easier to read then that was though.  
_If you wish to read more of my writing, both fandom and original, please friend my livejournal (xlovexlolitax) and leave a comment on my friends only entry. _

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**Field of Innocence  
**by Lolita Jayne Scarlet

_Chapter One : I Still Remember_

A black tendril of curly hair danced teasingly before her eyes as she watched the darkening green fields blur before her. She knew they must be getting close now. It seemed such a far stretch from her old home in Australia, Lolita Scarlet was feeling very displaced.

Sighing with resignation, she brushed the out-of-place hair from her view, tucking it behind her ear. Her dark green eyes the same colour as the fields they were observing for lack of other distraction, were obscured by a delicate pair of rectangular glasses.

Now that the war was over, her family felt it safe to send her to Hogwarts. Despite all her desperate pleas and begging as she was entering her fifth year that she wanted a transfer when the offer was made available, her parents refused to send her to Scotland to the school due to all the suspicion one Harry Potter had caused surrounding the return of the Dark Lord. She had not wished to thank Harry Potter then.

Once the war had taken full flight, her school back in Australia had decided to close its doors in her last year there. They knew they were under no direct threat, the school was crumbling anyway though and was not an entirely safe place for anybody to be. Finally realising this, and that she had a chance of a greater education at Hogwarts, her parents sent her off on her way. Now that she no longer wished to attend the school.

It had just endured one of the largest scale wars ever seen in the wizarding world. The damage was bound to be extensive both in the form structural damage to the castle and the emotional state of the students and professors. Lolita chuckled to herself as she rolled the word "Professor" off her tongue. That was going to take some getting used to. She had always thought of professors as mad scientists. What they called professors at Hogwarts, were referred to simply as "Teachers" at her old school.

Feeling the train slowing, she hastily rose to her feet and tugged at her new robes anxiously. She was repeating her seventh year in order to have the chance of a complete education at an entirely new school and a country so very far from her own. What if the professors and other students didn't like her?

She had no time left to toy with her musings now though as the Hogwarts Express came to a grinding halt. Taking a deep, nervous breath, Lolita left the compartment she had procured all to herself and stepped into the packed corridor.

She was relieved the second that crisp, fresh air filled her lungs. It had been like fighting her way through a can of squashed sardines to find her way out and it had been getting far too stuffy in there. 

Following the rest of the crowd, she was lead from the station, and down the street, to where many carts seemed to be shivering with excitement. Lolita was gazing at them in awe. While they appeared as though they had nothing to pull them, she had read before of the skeletal beasts, Thestrals, that could only be seen by those who had witnessed the death of someone. It felt weird to know, as many shrieks began to sound, that she would probably be one of the few now who had not yet seen someone die.

She looked around the ashen faces that headed anxiously for the carts. Hearing whispered questions as to what the beasts were and why they were there.

'Honestly!' A girl tutted as she walked past. She was a fairly tall girl, though not quite as tall as Lolita. The girl also had a wild mane of dark brown curls that cascaded down her back. 'Did no-one pay attention in class when Hagrid was teaching us about Thestrals?'

'Probably.' A tall boy with flaming red hair, visible even in the darkness of the evening, said as he pushed his way past Lolita who huffed angrily in response as she stumbled forward.

'Yes, well you will try harder this year now, won't you _Ronald_.' The girl chided. 'There is no war to occupy you now so you'll have much more time available to focus on the important things like study.'

'Absolutely not.' Ronald scoffed. 'I think you mean it gives Harry and I more time to kick some butt on the Quidditch pitch.'

Lolita's head snapped around back into her own thoughts. Harry? Surely that boy had not been talking of Harry Potter. She sighed as she absently boarded the nearest cart. If indeed he had been talking about Harry Potter, then was he the infamous Ron Weasley? The girl perhaps Hermione Granger?

Sitting down in the carriage, she looked across to see a girl with light blonde hair that fell to her waist, as well as big blue eyes that were only made bigger due to the thickness of the glasses she was wearing. She appeared to be distant, glazed. That's why Lolita jumped when the girl gently spoke.

'Father says that it's a good thing for people to entertain their thoughts.' She sounded a little dreamy and dazed. She looked as though she had been about to continue before she smiled and laughed gently. 'Miss. Hermione Granger though says that my father and I are both aloof.'

'Really?' Lolita looked at the girl curiously.

'Yes.' She smiled serenely. 'My name is Luna Lovegood. I don't believe we've met before.'

'No we haven't, I'm a transfer student from Australia. My name is Lolita Scarlet.'

'Did you say Australia?' Another young girls voice sounded from behind her before a tall girl with short, dark purple hair climbed into the cart. Looking at her excitedly, she offered her a hand shake. 'I'm Isabella, Bella for short if you like. I lived in Australia before starting at Hogwarts.'

As Lolita, Luna and Bella began to chat animatedly, the cart filled up with younger students who looked a little terrified of the three girls, before the cart was dragged off, up the trail to Hogwarts.

Lolita found herself engaged in a conversation with Bella about Australia while Luna was reading a magazine that Lolita had never seen before. The girl struck her as friendly enough, if not a little odd.

'Have you been at Hogwarts since your first year, Luna?' Lolita asked politely.

'Oh, yes.' The girl smiled cheerily at her. 'Both my parents attended Hogwarts too.'

'I didn't want to come here. If it weren't for Kat, I'm sure I'd be dead by now.' Bella mumbled as she put her face into cupped hands. 'All the others in our year, our entire house actually, they hate me. They're none too fond of Kat either mind.'

'Why not?' Lolita asked, mildly alarmed, though she had no idea who "Kat" was.

'Well, with Kat, it's pretty straightforward. None of them like her because she tells things like it is and speaks her mind, personally I think that is awesome.'

'I don't see the harm in speaking the truth.' Lolita shrugged.

'No, me either. I think Kat is awesome and I reckon you might like her.' Bella grinned from ear to ear. 'As for me? I don't know, they've just always hated me.'

'I don't see any reason why they would.' Lolita looked at her skeptically before she heard Luna chuckle slightly.

'You're in Slytherin aren't you? You're the girl that Pansy, Millicent and Eva always troubled, aren't you?' Luna's eyes held an amused gleam.

'Shut-it, space cadet.' Bella growled. 'You know where you will be, Lola?' Bella looked at her curiously before flinching a little. 'Sorry, you don't mind if I call you Lola do you?'

'I've had stranger.' Lolita grinned before the sight of a large castle looming ahead of them caught her eye. Yellow light bathed the sloping lawn and glistened on the surface of an enormous lake. The castle didn't seem as though it had witnessed any form of torment that might have befallen it in the circumstance of war.

'Obviously the Professors have been busy.' Luna mused. 'Dad told me they were, we even got invited over to the Weasley's place for dinner after they had all been there helping out.'

'How are they coping?' Bella frowned.

'With Fred?' Luna asked darkly.

'Who is Fred?' Lolita asked, slightly puzzled.

Bella and Luna exchanged looks as some of the younger students murmured amongst themselves. 'Fred was one of those who lost their life in the war.' Bella spoke quietly. 'He and his identical twin brother, George, were just two of the seven Weasley children.'

'You say that as though George died too!' One of the younger students cried indignantly but cowered a little as Bella looked daggers at him. 'Well he didn't, he is still alive.' His voice also seemed to be beginning to fail him.

'Pipe down pipsqueak before I feed you to the Thestrals.' Bella taunted.

'Malfoy has said that to us before, copy-cat!' One of the younger girls snapped.

Sensing Bella's tension rising Lolita cocked an eyebrow at the young girl. 'Copy-cat? My, how original.' She smiled wryly as the girl began to fidget nervously. 'How old are you anyway?' Rolling her eyes, she leant in close to Bella and whispered so that only she could hear her. 'Who is Malfoy?'

A cruel smirk twisted its way over Bella's face as she turned to look at her in mild amusement. 'Once upon a time, Malfoy ruled the Slytherin roost. He thought he was all that, Death Eater and all he was.' Lolita shuddered at hearing that. 'The git got in deeper than he wanted though. He's the laughing stock of Slytherin house now.'

'Then shouldn't you have some sympathy for him?' It was Lolita's turn to smirk as a slight tinge crossed her new friend's face.

'He made my life hell.' Bella stressed.

'I have no doubt of that.' Lolita sighed. 'As for which house I'll be in, I don't know. I have to go and find a Professor Flitwick before the Sorting Ceremony apparently. Do you know where I might find him?'

'No idea really, I'll come with you though if you like.' Bella spoke quietly as the younger students were now attempting to eavesdrop while looking at them warily.

Lolita felt a bubble of joy well up in her chest. 'You'd do that?'

'Sure.' Bella laughed as she shook her head gently. 'You're a dork, you'll fit right in here with me and Kat.'

Lolita was beginning to feel a little queasy. She was in a foreign place, with people who already all knew each other and she was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. She was very curious now to meet this Kat that her new friend kept telling her about.

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'Ah! Lolita, welcome to Hogwarts.' Lolita blinked and Bella bit back her laughed response. After having bravely ventured into the Great Hall, even if somewhat briefly, Bella had dragged her up many flights of stairs until they reached what Lolita was assuming must have been one of the Charms classrooms. It was apparently lucky they had run into the little man that everyone called Professor Flitwick, Lolita was finding it a little frightening though. Being tall, the man hardly came half way up her legs and she was frightened of moving incase she didn't see him and tripped on him. 'Please sit down Miss. Scarlet.' The tiny Professor indicated towards a hard and uncomfortable seat just behind her. 'I'll be back in a minute. We must be hasty though as Professor McGonagall is waiting for us to return it.'

'Return it?' Lolita mouthed at Bella who shrugged before something dawned on her. Lolita was suspicious that perhaps she had been about to tell her when Professor Flitwick burst back into the room and instead she just settled to smirk at her.

'Miss Rayne, if you wouldn't mind, I'm not sure my arms would quite reach.' The Professor squeaked as he handed Bella a tattered, slightly frayed, and apparently somewhat scorched old, pointed hat. The smell of the thick, burnt fabric was a little off and Lolita screwed up her nose in an attempt to block the smell as Bella placed it over her head. She had graver concerns than the hats stench though once it was over her eyes and talking to her. This was something she had most certainly not been expecting.

'I sense a great deal of loyalty from you, to your family and your friends. You would do anything to protect them, but you seem to be also quite willing to do just about anything to achieve your goals. You scheme a lot in order to get to where it is that you want to be, always planning. Yes, you're always seeking the best way to get what you want, hurting as few people as you possibly can in the process.' The voice that was ringing in her head was sounding a little puzzled. 'I think I'll have to put you into,' he paused before shouting aloud for Bella and the Professor to hear, 'Slytherin!'

'I knew it.' Bella beamed as Professor Flitwick looked on slightly edgy. Glad to be rid of it, Lolita handed the filthy old hat to Professor Flitwick.

'Thank-you.' She spoke quietly.

'Quite alright.' He squeaked. 'Now you two had best come along and get yourselves some seats before the ceremony begins, I'll just quickly run this down to Professor McGonagall so you had best make haste.'

'Please don't tell me they're going to be putting that thing on the heads of those poor first years?' Lolita panted as she and Bella moved quickly through the school to find themselves somewhere to sit in the Great Hall.

'They are.' Bella chuckled. 'They've been doing it for hundreds of years now.'

'The poor kids.' Lolita sighed. 'If they don't die from the smell of that thing, they're bound to get head lice somewhere along the way.' At the comment about the head lice, Bella doubled over laughing. 'Come off it! Surely you've thought of these things before!' Lolita grinned wickedly at her.

'I can honestly say the thought had never even once occurred to me.' Bella continued to laugh as they walked through the open doors into the massive dining hall that sparkled with the lights of hundreds of candles. 

Tilting her head backwards, Lolita's eyes lay sight on the roof she had read about, the one that reflected what it looked like outside. She smiled a little at the clear, crisp view of countless smatterings of stars. There was very little cloud out there at that moment and being so far away from a major city also meant no light pollution.

'You don't have a clue what you're talking about. I wish you would just shut-up and die already.' A shrill voice brought Lolita from her reverie as Bella caught her eye with a grimace.

'Welcome to Slytherin, Lola.' She sighed, sitting down on a wooden bench next to another girl who had bright red, curly hair. This other girl was wearing a cocky expression aimed at the girl sitting opposite her who had her neat, shoulder length, brown hair pulled back into a pony-tail and her face set in stony anger.

'Is that really the best you can come up with Pansy?' The red haired girl sneered. 

Feeling somewhat anxious again, Lolita slowly pulled herself down to sit next to Bella.

'Why don't you both just shut-up.' The boy sitting opposite her spoke softly. 'Neither of you actually remember what you were fighting about anyway.'

Lolita gazed curiously at him, his face hollow and skin a little waxy. His white blond hair fell like curtains across his face, hiding the dark circles around his blue-grey eyes.

'Funny, how war can weaken a man and reduce him to such a pathetic waste.' The brown haired girl called Pansy sneered. 'Isn't that right Malfoy?'

Eyes darting back to face him once again, Lolita saw he was now gazing at the stars. 'Whatever.' He replied weakly. Lolita frowned as her brow furrowed. When she had heard that Malfoy had once ruled the roost, she had to admit, she thought he would have been quite commanding and was feeling a little disappointed.

Pansy laughed cruelly. As the red haired girl had been about to say something to her though, a slightly frail looking woman stood before them and placed that horrid hat on a three-legged stool as the nervous first years made their way towards the front. The chattering in the hall began to cease and the footfalls of the new first years echoed about the room.

From the corner of her eye, Lolita saw Bella tap the other girl on the shoulder who turned to face her curiously. 'Kat, this is Lola. She has just transferred here from Australia.' Bella kept hushed. 'Lola, yeah, this is my friend Kat that I was telling you about.'

Lolita smiled as she offered a nervous little wave to Kat who chuckled in response and leant across Bella. 'Nice to meet you Doll, and welcome to Slytherin.' She grinned wickedly at her.

As she watched Kat sit back up again, and turned to watch the sorting ceremony, Lolita began to wonder just what she was in for starting here at Hogwarts. She was amazed that despite the trauma that had happened here not that long ago, things seemed to be running as though this had always been how it worked.


End file.
